MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hi my dear friends, I want to  wish you MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

All my best greetings to all of you and your families!

Thank you for being there!

Thank you for following my blog!

Thank you for being interested in my posts!

I wish you all the best !


Have a great time and enjoy CHRISTMAS!

I hope you'll receive plenty of presents!

I hope all your dreams will come true!

HAPPY CHRISTMAS!

**Mes chers amis, je vous souhaite JOYEUX NOËL  et BONNE ANNÉE!

Et merci beaucoup à tous de voir mon blog!
Merci beaucoup d' être mes "followers"!
Merci d' être là!
Merci d être intéressés à mes publications!





¡FELIZ NAVIDAD a todos!

¡Os deseo lo mejor para estas Fiestas Navideñas y para el Año Nuevo!

Que se cumplan todos vuestros sueños y que el Año 2014 sea mucho mejor que este.

Todos juntos ¡PODEMOS!  ¡Ya veréis como todo va bien!

FELICES FIESTAS a todos vosotros y a vuestras familias.  Que tengáis SALUD , AMOR y que económicamente todo os vaya genial.

LONDON'S HIDDEN MUSEUMS/ Museos escondidos de Londres

Hi my dear friends, I'm here again.  Today we're going to look at two different museums.  They are in London. They are hidden and they are special.  I hope you'll like it!

Hola mis queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez.  Hoy vamos a ver dos museos diferentes.  Están en Londres. Están escondidos y son especiales.  ¡Espero que os gusten!

TWININGS TEA MUSEUM

Everybody knows that  the British are very fond of tea.  The name TWININGS has been part of this English tradition for 300 years.

And why the name TWININGS?  Well, Thomas Twining was the first man to import tea to England. In 1706 he opened his first shop on The Strand, London. It is the oldest shop in the British capital!

Today, Twinings shop is between a café and a bank.  At the back you'll find a little museum with Twinings memorabilia, chairs, old blocks of Tibetan tea, etc.

MORE INFO:
Address:  216 Strand, London WC2R, 1 AP

Entry:  free, Monday-Friday , 9am to 5pm. Saturdays 10 am - 4 pm.

Nearest underground station:  TEMPLE.

Online:  www.twinings.co.uk/shop/strand

IF YOU ARE A TEA FAN, don't doubt it  and visit this special museum!!!



THE FAN MUSEUM

This museum is part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.  It is on the edge of Greenwich Park which contains the famous Royal Observatory.

Nowadays do women use fans?  In some countries like Spain, of course! But it's mainly in summer when it's hot and we need a bit of extra air when we're walking in the street or in a theatre or cinema or at thome.  It's fashionable too! Spain has a long fan tradition but the museum  we're talking about is in London.

The Fan Museum in London, has more than 3,500 fans, from the 11th century to the present day.

It is said that fans were used by the ladies of 18th century for secret communication.  Here we are some of them:

**Carried  in the left hand,  open, means: COME AND TALK TO ME.
**Carried in the right hand, in front of the face means:  FOLLOW ME.
**Drawn across the cheek means:  I LOVE YOU.
**Fanning slowly means: I AM MARRIED.

MORE INFO
Address: 12 Crooms HIll, Greenwich,  London .
 www.fan-museum.org

Entry: adults 4 pounds,  under 7s is free.  Tuesday to Saturday, 11am-5pm, Sunday 12-5pm.

Nearest underground station:  Cutty Sark (DLR)


HAVE A NICE DAY!

SEE YOU!

TRAFALGAR SQUARE (London)

Hi my dear friends, I'm here again and today we're going to look at one of the most famous squares in London, TRAFALGAR SQUARE, next month in Spain there is a "long weekend" so it could be a good idea to travel to London!

Hola mis queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez y hoy vamos a mirar a una de las plazas más famosas de Londres, TRAFALGAR SQUARE, el mes que viene en España hay un "puente" así que podría ser una buena idea viajar a Londres.

Photo: english-heritage.uk


TRAFALGAR SQUARE - More than the centre of London.

**Why is Trafalgar Square so famous?  This square is dedicated to a famous victory: Admiral Lord Nelson's defeat of the French fleet at Trafalgar in 1805.  In fact, Nelson's statue is on a  high plinth (pedestal) in the middle of the square.

**Why do we say that this square is in the centre of London? Because it is its exact location! It is bordered by the  National Gallery, the church St. Martin-in-the-Fields, The Mall and the government offices of Whitehall.


**This famous place is a meeting point for many people every day! A lot of celebrations are held there too, for instance, on New Year's Eve although nowadays people prefer to go and see the London Eye fireworks display across the Thames.  Other important celebrations are St. Patrick's Day and St. George's Day.

**However, Trafalgar Square is also a popular place for protesters and strike scenes.

**A curiosity: In the square you can see "The smallest police station in the world". It was opened in 1926 and it was inside an old monument and at the time it had a direct telephone line to Scotland Yard! Nowadays this little monument has a less glamourous use:"It is a broom cupboard" (un armario para artículos de limpieza).

**Despite the protest manifestations and riots (one of them last year against the government cuts in education) Trafalgar Square is a peaceful tourist attraction and you can often attend  "free concerts".

**Moreover, you can go for a walk until "10th Downing Street", "the Houses of Parliament" "Westminster Abbey" and to the west of the square you can reach "Buckingham Palace" too.

**In the north-west corner of the square you'll find "The Fourth Plinth" which has no permanent statue.  In 1998, The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce started a series of temporary exhibitions on the plinth.  The Mayor of London continues the tradition and this year's sculpture is of a boy on a rocking horse (caballito balancín). Its creators explain that they wanted to create a sculpture which honoured the everyday battles of growing up (crecer).


MORE INFO: www.london.gov.uk  and www.london.gov.uk/fourthplinth/

HAVE A NICE DAY MY FRIENDS!

SEE YOU!

ENGLISH GRAMMAR/Simple Past and Present Perfect./GRAMÁTICA INGLESA/Pasado y Pretérito Perfecto.

Hi my dear friends, I'm here again after my holidays.  I hope your summer will have been great! Today we're going to look at some English grammar about verbs and the tenses Past and  Present Perfect.

Hola queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez después de las vacaciones . Espero que vuestro verano haya sido genial.  Hoy vamos a ver algo de gramática inglesa sobre verbos y los tiempos Pasado y Pretérito Perfecto.

SIMPLE PAST  / PASADO.
We use THE SIMPLE PAST to say situations happened in the past and we specify the moment.
Utilizamos EL TIEMPO PASADO para decir situaciones ocurridas en el pasado y especificamos el momento.
So, we  use these words: yesterday,last night, last year, last day, last month, ago (I went to Ibiza two years ago: fui a Ibiza hace dos años) ,etc.
Por lo tanto, solemos utilizar estas palabras: ayer, anoche, el año pasado, el último día, el mes pasado, hace, etc.

HOW DO WE DO IT?  ¿Cómo lo hacemos?
**REGULAR VERBS:  We add -ED to the verb (añadimos -ED a nuestro verbo). Example: Infinitive To work (trabajar), Simple Past: worked (trabajé,trabajaba)

**IRREGULAR VERBS:  We have got a list with each form. Example: Infinitive: To come. Simple Past: came.  Infinitive: To go (ir) . Simple Past: went (fui, iba).  Infinitive: To feel (sentir) . Simple Past: Felt (sentí,sentía).

QUESTIONS:  DID + subject + verb :  Did you go to the party yesterday? ¿Fuiste a la fiesta ayer?
NEGATIVE PHRASES: subject + didn't + verb:  I didn't go to the gym last Tuesday. No fui al gimnasio el martes pasado.

PRESENT PERFECT/  Pretérito perfecto compuesto.
We use this tense to speak about an action happened in the past but we don't say exactly the moment.
Utilizamos este tiempo para hablar de una acción ocurrida en el pasado pero no decimos exactamente el momento.

HOW DO WE DO IT?  ¿Cómo lo hacemos?
It's a perfect tense so we will use the verb TO HAVE + a past participle.
Es un tiempo compuesto así que utilizaremos el verbo HABER + un participio pasado.

**AFFIRMATIVE PHRASES: subject + have + past participle > I have seen Indiana Jones twice: He visto Indiana Jones dos veces (pero no decimos CUANDO).
**QUESTIONS:   HAVE/HAS + subject + past participle. Have you gone to school? ¿Has ido al colegio?
**NEGATIVE PHRASES:   subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle> Lucy hasn't done her homework yet: Lucy no ha hecho todavía los deberes.

**Some words are used with Present Perfect: for (durante), since (desde), ever (alguna vez -en preguntas), before(antes), this week (esta semana)month/year.



SOME SENTENCES FOR YOU TO SEE / Algunas frases para que las veáis.

- Did you see Mary last week?  No, I didn't.
- Have you ever gone to Norway? Yes, I have.
- I changed my job last week.
- John didn't go to work last month, he was ill.


EXERCISE 1.- WRITE PRESENT PERFECT OR SIMPLE PAST.
1.- ___________(you, read)  this book before?
2.- Yes, I __________(read) it last week.
3.- Do you know where Rachel is? She's at home. I _________ (see) her yesterday.
4.- _____________ (Peter,go, ever)  to Scotland? No, he__________.
5.- I __________(go) to seven different schools when I was a child.
6.- Ann __________(be) to a lot of parties this year.
7.- Joe __________(crash) his car four times since Easter.
8.- The weather ______(be) very hot last summer.
9.- This summer _________(be) nice and warm.
10.-She __________(never, learn) to drive.

EXERCISE 2.- WRITE IN THE BLANKS:  for/since/ago. 
FOR: durante (indica periodos de tiempo real) for eight hours:durante 8 horas.
SINCE: desde (indica momentos) Since my birthday: desde mi cumpleaños.
AGO: hace. Se coloca siempre al final de la frase. I went to China one year ago.

1.- We've lived in Madrid ______ 26 years.
2.- I've been working _____ four o'clock this morning.
3.- I haven't seen Michael ____ weeks.
4.- Mary phoned a few minutes _______.
5.- She has been a teacher _____ seventeen years.
6.- It has been raining ____ four days.
7.- I've only know him _____ yesterday.
8.- I first went to Africa about seven years _____.

READING.
What do you dream about?
Most of us dream for two hours each night and almost always about people: for 45 per cent of the time about people  we know and 55 per cent those that we do not.

Men are twice as likely to dream of men as of women and for both sexes only 30 per cent  of dreams about individual characters.

Apparently we rarely dream about people in the public eye but some 20 per cent of our dreams include our family.  Mothers appear 34 per cent of the time, fathers 27 per cent, brothers 14 per cent and sisters 12 per cent.  On the whole, the themes of our dreams tend towards the unhappy, with fear occuring in 40 per cent, anger in 18 per cent and sadness in 6 per cent.
                                                                      (from Vital Statistics by Gyles Brandreth)

AND YOU, WHAT DO YOU DREAM ABOUT?


 SOLUTIONS

EXERCISE 1
1 have you read
2 read
3 saw
4 has Petr ever gone  /  hasn't
5 went
6 has been
7 hasn't crashed
8 was
9 has been
10 has never learnt

EXERCISE 2
1 for
2 since
3 for
4 ago
5 for
6 for
7 since
8 ago

**THANKS YOU FOR BEING THERE!!!

**SEE YOU!

FASHIONABLE SUMMER BALCONIES AND ROOFTOPS/Terrazas y azoteas de verano y a la moda.

Hi my dear friends, here I am again and this time to tell you some of the nicest summer balconies in different Spanish cities.  Afterwork, to have lunch or dinner or simply to have a drink with your friends.  Enjoy all these suggestions if you are living or visiting Spain.

Hola queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez y para contaros algunas de las terrazas más bonitas y a la moda de diferentes ciudades españolas.  Para después del trabajo, para comer o cenar o simplemente para tomar una copa con vuestros amigos. ¡Disfrutad de todas estas sugerencias si estáis viviendo o visitando España!


In summer it is very much sunny  and we like to be in the street to go for a walk or to have a good time with our friends, so what about a drink and a talk in a beautiful summer balcony or a rooftop ?  Some hotels and restaurants have this kind of places  so here you are some ideas!

En verano hay mucho sol y nos gusta estar en la calle para dar un paseo o pasarlo bien con nuestros amigos, así que ¿qué tal una copa y una charla en una bonita terraza o azotea  de verano?  Algunos hoteles y restaurantes tienen esta clase de lugares  así que aquí tenéis algunas ideas.

**MADRID

**THE PENTHOUSE:  A beautiful place in the centre of the city.  The best moment: "the dusk". From this "roof" you will see the typical houses and the whole city.
Hotel Me, Pza. Santa Ana, 14
http://www.memadrid.com/

**SANTO MAURO.  A wonderful garden in which you can have breakfast, lunch or snacks.  Dinners afterwork under the stars are the best! A really beautiful place!
36, Zurbano street.
http://www.ac-hotels.com/

**LAS LETRAS.  Almost the best "mojitos" and "caipiriñas" in the city combined with Spanish ham! Situated in the marvellous Gran Vía street. A perfect place to have a good time!
11, Gran Vía street.
http://www.hoteldelasletras.com/


**PALACIO DE CIBELES.  This is a restaurant with a summer balcony directly to the Cibeles square cause it is located in the same building as the Madrid  City Hall.  An impressive building with a lot of history! From here you can reach "La Puerta de Alcalá" , "Gran Vía" , "The Prado Museum", etc.
Plaza de Cibeles, 1.
http://www.grupoadolfo.com/



**BARCELONA.

**WET. A hotel with one of the best  Mediterranean sights!  You can find a "theme party" and the best DJs until 3 a.m. in the morning.  A good suggestion is "The Indian summer cocktail" which you can have next to a marvellous swimming-pool!
Plaza de la Rosa de los Vientos, 1.

http://www.w-barcelona.es/

**OPIUM.  A bar situated in "La Barceloneta" beach in which you can have a coffee in the morning, a light snack in the afternoon or a "fideua" in the evening.  The DJs and their music are excellent too!
Pº Marítimo, 34
http://www.opiumbar.com/

**LAIE. This is the Picasso Museum restaurant.  Situated in the Gothic Square, this building is one of the nicest in Barcelona.  Perfect to have a rest, have a drink and get inspired.
c/ Montcada, 15.
http://www.museupicasso.bcn.es/

**IBIZA  (Balear Islands)

**LA PLAGE.  Here you can find everything!  A beer, lunch, dinner, or wait for the dusk on a Bali bed! Then, music and dance! What else can you ask for?
Playa d'en Bossa.
http://www.laplageibiza.com/

**USHUAIA. We could say that this is a disco-hotel.  David Guetta can play here or you can see Dennis Rodman or Paris Hilton hosted here too.  Its parties are one of the best on the island! 
Playa d'en Bossa.
http://www.ushuaiabeachhotel.com/



MÁLAGA (Andalucía)

**LA TERRAZA DE LARIOS.  This hotel and its bar is nowadays one of the most famous places in Málaga at night!  Excellent cocktails!  Nice people!
Marqués de Larios, 2.
http://www.laterrazadelarios.com/


MARBELLA (Málaga) - Andalucía.

**CALIMA.  Excellent restaurant! Delicious dishes!  Marvellous sights!  A beautiful balcony!
c/ José Meliá, s/n.
http://www.restaurantecalima.es/

ALTEA (Alicante) Comunidad Valenciana.

**LA COSTERA.  It's a typical French bistrot! Next to the sea!  A beautiful garden!  A real marvellous place to enjoy its "cuisine" and its sights!
c/ Mestre de Música, 8.
http://www.lacosteradealtea.com/



SEVILLA (Andalucía)

**CAFÉ DEL CASINO.  The place is an ancient theatre which has become a fashionable balcony with marvellous sights directly to "El Parque de Maria Luisa". It's perfect to have a drink and dance at night!
Av. Maria Luisa,s/n.
http://www.cafedelcasino.com/



SANTANDER (Cantabria)

**EL MACHI.  A typical tavern with the best fish dishes in Santander!  To have lunch, dinner or a drink until 2 a.m. 
c/ Calderón de la Barca, 9.
http://www.elmachi.com/



FOR MORE INFO:  http://www.beachbookelle.com/

"ELLE MAGAZINE" livingBEACH.

These are only some ideas if you are visiting some of these Spanish cities or if you are living in some of them and you don't know these places  either! You'll find many more summer balconies and roofs on the ELLE MAGAZINE website marked above. 

EN JOY YOUR HOLIDAYS MY FRIENDS!!!

SEE YOU!

SUMMERTIME IS PERFECT TO GO OUT!!!!

TRAVEL/CANARY ISLANDS / SPAIN /A PARADISE IN EUROPE/ Viaje/Islas Canarias /España/ Un Paraíso en Europa

Hi again my dear friends, at last ,I'm back and as I promised some days ago, I'm going to tell you about a paradise in Europe, "THE CANARY ISLANDS" in Spain.  Seven marvellous islands where you will find all you need for your holiday!  Relax, gastronomy,  beaches, nature, culture, Natural Parks, Green Forests,  volcanoes, a unique sky, etc.  Are you going to miss it?

Hola otra vez queridos amigos, al fin he vuelto, y como prometí hace días, voy a hablaros sobre un paraíso en Europa, "LAS ISLAS CANARIAS" en España.  Siete maravillosas islas donde encontraréis todo lo que necesitáis para vuestras vacaciones. Relax, gastronomía, playas, naturaleza, cultura, parques naturales, bosques, volcanes,  un cielo único, etc.  ¿Os lo váis a perder?


THE CANARY ISLANDS
Are you thinking of a special trip, a different place, a unique site, a paradise on Earth?  Don't think any more, I'm going to give you the solution, go and see  the Spanish Canary Islands.

Would you like  spring weather all the year? The possibility of bathing into the sea all the year? No matter the season? Good climate and a better gastronomy? Hiking and  trekking ? The Spanish Canary Islands is your DESTINATION!

ADVANTAGES
** It's one  European destination.
**Current money:  the Euro.
**Language:  Spanish
**22º C all year (average)
**7 different islands.
**Friendly people.
**Volcanic landscapes.
**Quality and variety accomodation hotels.
**Spectacular gastronomy!
**Culture, traditions, festivities.
**Microclimates.
**Wonderful beaches.
**Great volcanoes.
**Unique forests

LET'S GO...



GRAN CANARIA ISLAND
This island is described  as a "miniature continent".  Microclimates and incredible landscapes are found there. 
The western half of the island is A Biosphere Reserve.  You can also find 33 protected areas. 

Its capital "Las Palmas de Gran Canaria" offers you a lot of museums, restaurants, bars, etc.  If you prefer the beach, "Las Canteras Beach" is in the capital . A beautiful white sand beach with a lot of hotels, places to have lunch or dinner, nightclubs, etc.

Go to the centre of the island, and visit "The Roque Nublo rock", the village of FATAGA and TEJEDA.  A marvellous landscape sometimes desertic sometimes full of palm trees. Unforgettable!

If you go to the south, the weather is hotter than in Las Palmas which is in the north and you will see "LA PLAYA DEL INGLÉS" and "MASPALOMAS beach" with its immense dunes.

I advise you to cross Gran Canaria Island from North to South and from East to West and you will understand why we say that it is a MINIATURE CONTINENT!
website: www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain/tourism-office/gran-canaria-island

Gothic architecture, aborigin ruines and exotic food!

Don't forget to visit "Cueva Pintada" (VIth century) or The Cenobio of Valerón (350 caves).

The Colonial Neighbourhood (XVth century) is a "must" really beautiful!

TENERIFE ISLAND
The Highest mountain (and peak) in Spain is here, "THE TEIDE" which is a majestic volcano.

Tenerife island has got 2 World Heritage Sites, one National Park and 42 natural protected spaces.

Spectacular cliffs, wooden areas of the typical Canary pine that you will see going  up to the Teide. At that very moment you will experience the sight of "The Sea of Clouds" !  Incredible!

The theme park "LORO PARQUE" with a huge diversity of animals.

Beaches like "Los Cristianos or Las Teresitas"  will make you enjoy your holiday plans!

The capital "Santa Cruz" offers museums, shopping centres and a lot of cultural events.

website: www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain/tourism-office/tenerife-island


LANZAROTE ISLAND
All the island is a volcanic place! 



Lanzarote has got a National Park ,12 natural protected areas and a Marine Reserve.

"THE TIMANFAYA PARK" is "a must".  You go around it  riding on a camel and looking at the moon landscapes which are simply incredible!

A visit to "LOS JAMEOS DEL AGUA" created by the architect and sculptor César Manrique (unfortunately already dead) is a special experience for the senses like sight and sound.  Anyway, César Manrique's presence is everywhere in the  whole island.  He loved his island and preserved it until his death.

In this island of volcanoes, you will see how the peasants of Lanzarote have cultivated their crops by covering them of black volcanic sand and for example, they have obtained a typical Canary wine which is well known and appreciated around the world.

**Lanzarote has been declared one of the universal models of sustainable development.

**Beaches like:  "Caletón Blanco", "Guacimeta" , "Las Coloradas" ,  "Janubio", "Las Cucharas" or "Famara"
http://www.turismodecanarias.com/
http://www.turismolanzarote.com/

FUERTEVENTURA ISLAND

Long, untouched beaches but also surprising landscapes, volcanoes and lava flows, sand dunes.

Discover THE SACRED MOUNTAIN which was considered by the aboriginal as "a magic place".

Traditional architecture, fishing villages,  and charming villages in the interior of the island.

The oldest rocks of the archipelago were found here.

Surfing and windsurfing can be practised as well because of the winds.

LA PALMA ISLAND
  

This island is called "LA ISLA BONITA" because of the multitude of colours that you can see there!

It is considered one of the best skies in the world in terms of astronomic observation so the most important astrophysics observatories are situated here.

A Biosphere Reserve with paths, forests and vegetation from the dinosaur's age!

Charming beaches!  One of the biggest craters in the world which is also the  National Park Caldera de Taburiente!
www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain-tourism-office/la-palma-island

EL HIERRO ISLAND

El Hierro is a paradise for diving!

A Biosphere Reserve with unforgettable volcanoes and lava fields, fertile valleys, forests, reptiles that were thought to be extinct...

It's impossible to find so much diversity in such a small territory!
www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain/tourism-office/el-hierro-island

THE GOMERA ISLAND

This island is described as "a jewel of nature".

The National Park of Garajonay is a surprising forest and ideal for people who like hiking.  You will be impressed by the ravines which drop into the ocean!  A landscape sculpted by the erosion over million of years! 

In La Gomera you will see the cultivated terraces on steep slopes created by the human intervention. 

Bays of black sand and crystalline waters!
www.turismodecanarias.com/canary-islands-spain/tourism-office/la-gomera-island


HISTORY   -  THE GUANCHES

**I would like also  to speak  about the first pre-Hispanic inhabitants of  The Canary Islands called "The Guanches" who first appeared in TENERIFE ISLAND.
**It is believed that they were "bereber" origin and when the Kingdom of Castilla began the conquest of the Canary Islands firtly they resisted but then they integrated.
**Some of the first famous Guanches were:  Bencomo, Bentor and the Princess Dácil (Bencomo's daughter) who fell in love with a Castilian captain "Fernán García" and finally they got married.
**The Guanche language soon disappeared and today it's almost impossible to know somebody who could speak it.
**However, there are many archaeological artefacts from the Guanches that have povided a valuable information of history about them.

ACCOMODATION AND GASTRONOMIC INFO



**GRAN CANARIA > Maspalomas Beach > RIU HOTELS, http://www.riu.com/
Maspalomas Beach > SEASIDE PALM BEACH HOTEL > http://www.hotel-pal-beach.es/
THE ENGLISH BEACH > Bohemia Suites and Spa > http://www.designhotels.com/

**LANZAROTE> LA CASONA DE YAIZA > www.casonadeyaiza.com  in Yaiza, it's a hotel,a  restaurant  and a cellar.



A restaurant: "CASA GINORY"  in Arrecife . you will find an excellent fish, sead food, "la ropa vieja" that is a typical dish. http://www.ginorylanzarote.com/
A special  bar and restaurant situated in the former  Omar Shariff's residence : "LA CUEVA DE LAGOMAR"  http://www.lacuevadelagomar.com/

**TENERIFE> BAHÍA DEL DUQUE HOTEL in Costa  Adeje, it is a hotel, a beach club and an excellent restaurant. http://www.bahiadelduque.beachclub.com/


**The Typical "Mojo Picón Sauce" with potatoes is a "must" and it's delicious. You can find it "red" or "green".  Taste it, please!!!

**Canary bananas are famous all around the world!  They are the best!

HOW TO GET THERE...
**Low cost companies such as EASY JET, VUELING AND RYANAIR can offer you flights at an excellent prize!  Look at them on the Internet!

**From your country, city or place of origin, you can consult flights, airlines and offers on the Internet too.

I HOPE YOU'LL LIKE THIS VIRTUAL JOURNEY THAT WE HAVE JUST DONE! AND I HOPE YOU'LL FLY TO THE CANARY ISLANDS  AS WELL!

SEE YOU! 

TRAVEL/ HAWAII / Viaje/ Hawaii

Hi again my dear friends, I'm here again to start with the first of our islands "HAWAII" .  As I told you some days ago, I'll post about different islands around the world as a suggestion for your  summer holiday plans.

Hola mis queridos amigos, aquí estoy otra vez para empear con la primera de nuestras islas !HAWAII". Como os dije hace algunos días, publicaré sobre diferentes islas del mundo como sugerencia para vuestros planes de vacaciones de verano.

HAWAII the Land born from fire.

HAWAII, la Tierra nacida del fuego.

Photos:  buenavibra.es  /  felicesvacaciones.es

Would you like to live a unique experience?  Would you like to bathe in transparent waters?  Would you like to know a different culture?  Would you like to enjoy spectacular sandy beaches? Would you like to relax and get amazed at the same time?

Hawaii is your destination!!

KAUAI - Hawaii's Island of Discovery
OAHU- The heart of Hawaii.
MOLOKAI- Hawaiian by nature.
LANAI: Hawaii's most enchanting island.
MAUI: The magic island.
HAWAII ISLAND:  The Big Island.

**Hawaii is the youngest of the USA's states and it is in the Pacific Ocean.  The country is a chain of volcanic islands with a wonderful ecosystem almost unique in the world!

**Hawaii is  isolated and remote! It is located 3,500 kilometres west of Los Angeles.  The islands are in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

**Hawaii volcanoes are still alive!  Kilauea (on Big Island)  has been erupting since 1983.  Mauna Kea is dormant at the moment and Mauna Loa is the largest and most active volcano in the planet.

**Hawaii is a laboratory of time for visitors and scientists.  You can see the formation of the Earth looking at Hawaii!

**Near the coast, the road is overwhelmed (cubierta) by the lava that still flows (fluye) into the ocean. What a spectacle!

**On Hawaii a whole ecosystem has evolved to live in this environment!  It is a spectacular place for wild life!


IF YOU GO ...

**KONA and  HILO have both international airports.

**The Volcanoes National Park,  is situated in the southern part of Big Island. It will take you about 3 hours to drive there from either Kona or Hilo.  This World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve is open 24 hours a day, all year round.  Admission costs $10 per vehicle.  More info: www.nps.gov/havo-www.gohawaii.com

**Coconut palms, white sand beaches, crystalline waters are waiting for you if you want to relax far away from the rest of the world!  http://www.gohawaii.com/

**Ancient petroglyphus left by Polynesian settlers (pobladores, colonos) can be seen near the coast road by a walking trail (sendero).
According to the legend, "Pele" the goddess of fire and creation, lives in the caldera of Kilauea volcano and hides beneath (bajo) the slopes (laderas) of Mauna Loa.

**On the Mauna Loa volcano, the last eruption was in 1984 and it is expected an eruption any day!  There is a Mauna Loa eruption every 20 years so ...

ENJOY MY FRIENDS!!

SEE YOU!!

PREPOSITIONS / ENGLISH GRAMMAR / Preposiciones/ Gramática Inglesa

Good morning everybody, today we're going to look at  prepositions "AT   /   IN " .

Buenos días a todos, hoy vamos a ver las preposiciones AT / IN .

**AT   /    IN  are prepositions of PLACE ( son preposiciones de LUGAR). The meaning of AT is as you don't enter a place and IN shows that you have already entered.  (El significado de AT es como si no entráseis en un lugar y el de IN muestra que ya habéis entrado.  In Spanish we usually translate both "EN" (en español solemos traducir las dos por EN).

**SOME EXAMPLES:  at home (en casa) , at school  (en el cole), in my house (en mi casa), at the door (en la puerta), in hospital (dentro del hospital), etc.

**However, we can find some typical expressions with At or In that we have to learn and not to think of the meaning or words that are with them.

Sin embargo, podemos encontrar expresiones típicas con AT o IN que tenemos que aprendernos y no pensar en el significado o palabras que van con ellas.

EXERCISE
Write  AT  or  IN   in each blank.
Escribid  AT  o  IN en cada hueco.

1.- Miss Connor is _______ a showroom.      She is ______ a meeting.
2.- Mr Smith is ______ a reception desk.      Mary is ______ home.
3.- You are ______the airport and Mr Fisher is _______ a restaurant.
4.- Mr Harris is living _____ 2, South Street.
5.- My friend lives _____ an appartment _____ the top of a building.
6.- It's the highest building ______ the city.
7.- You'll find her ______ the service desk.
8.- Don't waste too much time trying to repair the TV _____ the house.
9.- Just put it _____ the van and bring it back here.
10.- _____ work, _____ Madrid, ______ September.
11.- _____ the park, ______ the zoo, ______  Miami.
12.- ____ front of the window,  _____ 6 o'clock,  _____ bed.

                                 *********************************************

SOLUTION
1 in  /  at
2 at  /  at
3 at  /  in
4 at
5 in  /  at
6 in
7 at
8 in
9 into
10 at  /  in  /  in
11 at  /  at  /  in
12 in  /  at  /  in


READING
A DOCTOR'S STORY

A doctor was once teaching a class of medical students at a famous hospital in Edinburgh.  An injured man was brought in and the doctor turned to one of the students and asked him:
-"What's wrong with this man"?
-"I don't know, sir", the students answered.
-"Can I examine him and find out"?

-"There's no need to examine him", said the doctor.  You should know without asking questions.  He has hurt his right knee.  Didn't you notice the way he walked?  He hurt it by burning it in the fire.  You see his trouser leg is burnt away at the knee.  This is Monday morning.  Yesterday was fine, but on Saturday the roads were wet and muddy.  The man's trousers are muddy all over.  The man fell down on Saturday night.

The doctor then turned to the man and said:  "You had your wages on Saturday and went to a bar and drank too much.  You got wet and muddy on the way home.  You tried to dry your clothes by the fire when you got home.  Because you had drunk too much, you fell on the fire and burnt your knee.  Is that right?

-Absolutely right!, sir, said the man.

**Why do you think that the doctor has guessed the man's problem?


THANK YOU FOR BEING THERE!!!

HARD ROCK CAFÉ HISTORY / La historia del Hard Rock Café

Hi my dear friends, today we're going to speak about "The Hard Rock Café" a global icon in which you have surely been!  We'll see its beginnings and history! Let's go!

Hola queridos amigos, hoy vamos a hablar sobre "El Hard Rock Café" un icono global en el que seguro que habéis estado.  Veremos sus comienzos y su historia. ¡Vamos!

WORLDWIDE FAMOUS  (famoso en el mundo entero)
The first Hard Rock Café opened on June 14th, 1971 in London and immediately, it was a great hit!  Its American décor, loud music and friendly service helped to this!  After 40 years, it is a global icon with 150 venues (locales) in over 50 countries.



FOUNDERS (fundadores)
The Hard Rock Café was founded by Peter Morton and Isaac Tigrett, two  entreprising young Americans and at once, it became the trendiest (a la moda) café in the British capital. It was a stop for rock stars like Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney.

Eric Clapton donated his Red Fender guitar to the café in 1979.  He asked the staff to hang it on the wall above his faourite bar stool (taburete).

Peter Townshend of "The Who" donated one of his guitars too and so this marked the start of a collection of music memorabilia (recuerdos) that contains right now more than 73,000 items (objetos):  photographs, instruments, clothing and costumes, platinum and gold records and posters of Freddie Mercury, Michael Jacson, Jim Morrison, Madonna, Prince, Elton John, etc.

The Hard Rock Café also has the first guitar owned by Glen Matlock from the Sex Pistosl and a Madonna's bustier.

The success of the fists Hard Rock Café expanded it in Europe and the United States.

LET'S PARTY
The Hard Rock Café chain (cadena) was sold to the Rank Group and today it is owned by the "Seminola Native American Tribe of Florida". 
The most recent café was opened in Florence in June last year.

THE HARD ROCK CAFÉS IN SPAIN
The successful chain of restaurants extends its reach to Spain where franchises exist in Madrid (since 1994), Barcelona (1997), Mallorca (since 2008) and Marbella (since 2009).  The restaurants do not only serve food, but they also stage concerts and even screen football matches, such as the popular clash of the two great rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona!

For more information about Hard Rock Cafés around the world, visit: http://www.hardrock.com/

 Don't doubt it!  If you want to visit a curious place, The Hard Rock Café is a marvellous one!

Photo: tripadvisor.es

SEE YOU AND HAVE A NICE DAY!!

PARIS, L'Île Saint-Louis et le Quartier Latin / París, La Isla de San Luis y el Barrio Latino.

Salut tout le monde, aujourd'hui nous allons voir un peu plus de Paris, L'île Saint-Louis et le Quartier Latin.

Hola a todo el mundo, hoy vamos a ver un poco más de París, La Isla de San Luis y el Barrio Latino.

L'ÎLE SAINT-LOUIS

L'Île Saint-Louis est un des sites les plus intéressants de Paris avec son architecture classique et ses quais tranquilles.

Cette île est le résultat de l'union de deux îlots, l'Île Notre-Dame et l'Île aux Vaches, où , au Moyen Àge , les duels avaient lieu.

Sous le règne de Louis XIII,  les deux îlots ont été unis et l'on a construit  deux ponts en pierre pour relier l'île au reste de la ville.  Les travaux ont commencé en 1627 et ont fini en 1664.

La plupart des bâtiments ont une architecture classique et sont du XVIIème siècle.

Sur le Quai d'Anjou, l'Hôtel de Lauzon est fameux car y habitèrent Baudelaire, Théophile Gautier et Wagner.

Le Quai d'Orléans, en face de l'île de la Cité, offre une des plus belles vues de la cathédrale Notre-Dame et la rive gauche.

Cette île est calme, provinciale et très particulière au centre de la ville.


LE QUARTIER LATIN

Ce quartier se trouve sur la rive gauche de la Seine, sur les 5ème et 6ème arrondissements, de part et autre du boulevard Saint-Michel, appelé familièrement le Boul' Mich'.

Le Quartier Latin est, avec la Cité, la partie la plus ancienne de la capitale, qui comprend la montage Sainte-Geneviève (Sainte-Geneviève est la patronne de Paris), le rue Mouffetard au sud, les Jardins des Plantes à l'est, les quartiers Saint-Séverin et Maubert au nord.

On l'appele "latin" parce que la langue officielle de l'enseignement a été le latin jusqu'en 1789.  En plus, ce quartier est depuis sept siècles celui de la Sorbonne, des écoles napoléoniennes et des lycées prestigieux comme Louis-le-Grand, Henri I et Saint-Louis.

Ce quartier a une très intense activité culturelle non seulement à cause des maisons d'édition et des librairies, mais aussi grâce aux terrasses des cafés célèbres comme le Flore, Aux Deux Magots, etc.  centres privilégiés pour l'échange d'idées et rendez-vous littéraires.

LA SORBONNE qui est la plus célèbre université de France, doit son nom au collège de théologie fondé en 1253 para Robert de Sorbon pour 16 étudiants pauvres.  Louis XI fit installer ici la première imprimerie de France en 1469.

Aujourd'hui les bâtiments de la Sorbonne sont les sièges des universités de Paris III et Paris IV.

                           *************************************

***Avez-vous déjà visité Paris?
***L'été est proche, alors allons-y!
***C'est une ville qu'il faut visiter, au moins, une fois dans la vie!

AU REVOIR ET À LA PROCHAINE!